It’s in the playbook of authoritarians—reputable news outlets that challenge the government’s preferred narratives with truth are being tossed into the landfill of so-called “fake news.” Censoring independent journalism is increasingly putting free speech at risk.
In recent years, the government has undeniably placed higher restrictions on the press. For instance, the first Trump administration revoked former CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass “in retaliation for his challenging questions” at a press conference. Such infringements on the press’s right and duty to question those in power threaten the underpinnings of democracy, as the media exists to elevate diverse civilian voices.
The Associated Press’ editorial decision to not adopt the name “The Gulf of America” in February directly resulted in its ban from future White House press briefs. Executive Order 14172 only permits government enforcement of the gulf’s renaming among federal agencies, thus the administration’s ban on this independent news agency violates the First Amendment.
A month later, entrepreneur and The Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos announced restrictions on viewpoints opposing “personal liberties and free market” on the newspaper’s Opinion page. Previously, The Post had countered misleading statements like President Trump’s Obama wiretap claim. However, when Bezos bought The Post in 2013, his contracts with government agencies such as NASA as the owner of Blue Origin and Amazon Web Services encouraged him to prioritize his business interests at the expense of watchdog journalism.
The Trump administration also rescinded all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—the nonprofit that distributes funds to National Public Radio and PBS—for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, forcing CPB to shut down. Soon after, Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, writing on Truth Social that The Times was “one of the worst and most degenerate newspapers in the nation’s history.” Though the case was tossed out, Trump’s filing endangers investigative reporting by smaller outlets more vulnerable to financial strain.
The administration hasn’t just targeted left-leaning media: Trump also filed a $10 billion lawsuit in July against The Wall Street Journal over its reporting on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The Pentagon then announced on Sept. 19 that all reporting by credentialed journalists “must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified.” Evidently, the government’s attempts to silence the press are less about party affiliation and more about suppressing critiques of their actions.
Although some argue that Trump’s actions are intended to limit the spread of false information, government censorship of fact-based perspectives is a clear violation of free speech. Journalists are responsible for presenting and amplifying the truth of the people—and for citizens to interpret said information and distinguish right from wrong.
Unsubscribing to news sources who censor themselves due to fear of retaliation by the government and subscribing to a variety of reputable independent media—including The NYT, BBC World News and The AP—are ways to ensure and promote freedom of the press. Ultimately, journalists must not allow those in power—whether president or billionaire—to dictate which stories are told.